We eat out or get take-away very infrequently.  It's not because I cook every night (everyone deserves a night off), but because I am a big fan of re-inventing leftovers (stay tuned for next weeks blog) and having a well stocked freezer. 


So what's in my freezer at the moment?

Bolognese sauce
My sauce is full of veggies (mushroom, eggplant, lentils, red capsicum, carrot, zucchini and tomatoes).  I use it for everything including shepherds' pies, on pancakes, on pasta, on rice, in Mexican wraps or on potatoes. 

Next time you are cooking a sauce, soup, stew or curry, make double and freeze a batch! 

Frozen veggies
Our current favourites are peas and corn, but all are great. Frozen veggies are high in nutrients as they have been frozen straight from picking. Remember to steam or microwave rather than boil. 

Frozen fish
We have both fresh and pre-crumbed from the freezer section. Not sure which fish to choose? Look for the MSC symbol for sustainable fish and the Heart Foundation tick. 

Frozen berries 
These make a great snack in summer or are delicious warmed in winter. We love them in smoothies, mixed into plain yoghurt and topped with oats or on top of French toast on lazy Sunday mornings. 

In our house we always go the smoothie option. The fruit is blended, so when you are drinking it you are getting the benefit of the whole fruit (including the fibre). Plus you can add whatever you like.  It is also easy to over consume juice as it contains all the energy of the fruit without the filling fibre. 

I realised that my kids may have been over doing it on the fruit a little (1-2 serves is recommended a day for kids), and under doing it on the dairy and veggies. So tonight we re-invented 'dinosaur smoothies' (named by my 3 year old as he asked for more).  Green smoothies are very in vogue at the moment but increasing greens in your diet (spinach and kale work well in smoothies) is a good thing for all! Plus if you use some lite milk and plain reduced fat yoghurt, you're increasing your calcium too! 

Dinosaur smoothie (not just for kids)
Serves 2

- 1 banana
- 300ml lite milk
- 1 handful spinach 
- 2 heaped tablespoons plain, reduced fat yoghurt (check ingredients list, it should contain only milk and bacteria (a lactobacillus). 

Try different combinations of fruit and green leaves. 

Blend for one minute. You can add a little honey if you wish but I never have so we are all used to it without the extra sweetness. 

We're in party planning mode here. It's my son's 6th birthday and he has chosen "under the sea" as the theme. We LOVE parties in our house. When it comes to planning food, it's a party so I let my hair down (more than usual). But I still like to have some balance. There will be treats but also some fun healthy foods.  Here are some ideas: 

- Every party we usually carve a watermelon (much easier to do than you think) and fill it with fruit salad. We've done a pirate ship, a basket, a frog, a brain and a baby carriage (for a baby shower).  Kids and adults love these! 

• Sandwiches or toasted cheese can easily be made more fun with cookie cutters
  
• Popcorn or pretzels served in patty cake cases looks great
  
• Making pizza or sushi can be a party activity and a tasty meal. You can cut pizza dough into shapes using cookie cutters
• Fruit based mini muffins
  
• Fruit kebabs. Kids love food on sticks. For younger kids, use an ice-cream stick rather than a skewer
• Dip and veggies or crackers. Thanks to a quick google I found a fun 'octopus dip' for our the Under the Sea party
  

What fun, naturally colourful foods do you serve at your party?

In a world of soup diets, internet sites offering quick fixes and magic diet pills, I often finding myself wondering how I can make scientifically proven dietary advice more 'sexy'. 

All I come up with is simple, practical advice that actually works (sadly no bells and whistles).

They say that the best time to buy a house was yesterday and the next best time is now. The same is true for diet. But rather than set yourself up for failure (by starting some fad that is impossible to sustain), you should

Start as you wish to continue! Make small, sustainable changes to your diet.  Plan to make changes that you can do forever. The problem with going on a diet is that one day you go off it again. Instead, start as you wish to continue.  No diets, no restrictions....just healthier eating that you can maintain. 

And here is your first step:

Be colourful! 

Eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables everyday.  
Think of how many serves of colourful fruits and vegetables you are currently eating. One serves equals a medium piece of fruit, half cup of cooked veggies or a cup of salad veggies. What ever you are doing right now try to increase it by just one serve. 

If you currently have one piece of fruit per day increase it to two. If you only have 2 different colours on your dinner plate, increase it to three.  

See last weeks blog for more practical information on increasing colours.